Birth weight and biometry of purebred Landrace pigs under Indian farm condition

In the present investigation, the birth weight and biometry were studied in pureLandrace pigs under Indian farm condition. The study was conducted using 377 pigletscomprising 201 males and 176 females, born over a period of three years. The pigletswere allowed free and ad libitum suckling to their respective dams, maintained under stallfeeding condition with allowance of free choice of loitering in the attached open run.Each piglet was given individual identification number and sexed. The weights and bodymeasurement of newly born piglets were recorded within 24 h of their birth. The meanbirth weight of piglets was 1.33±0.01 kg, the mean values for important type traits being8.73±0.05 cm (head length), 20.42±0.18 cm (body length) and 18.62±0.13 cm (witherheight). The body measurement traits were highly significantly (P<0.01) correlated withthe birth weight in pigs, the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.701 to 0.884. Theregression analysis showed the body length to be the best predictor of birth weight inpiglets (R2 = 78.1%). The sire effect on the birth weight and biometrical traits wassignificant (P<0.01). It can be concluded that there exists a significant effect of sex ofpiglets and sire on the weight and type traits at birth in purebred Landrace pigs and thesetraits are significantly associated.